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The 2007 Pegasus Airlines PWA World Cup, Alaçati – Day 1

Women’s Race 1

Olympic class specialist Marta Hlavaty shocked the ladies fleet by confidently out-pacing reigning world champ Karin Jaggi (F2 / North) who’d led off the start line over the first reach.

Hlavaty outpaced her with a downwind line to round the first mark in the lead. From there the Polish racer resisted pressure until the third mark where she fell to allow Jaggi to regain the lead and win and the ever-present Valerie Ghibaudo (Tabou) to cruise into second.

The second race handed Kubat a valuable opportunity to take the event lead after both Jaggi and Ghibaudo were disqualified for premature starts. At the re-start however it was Verena Fauster (F2 / Gaastra) who seized the initiative. She led until the fourth mark regardless of relentless challenges from Hlavaty for the inside line at the first three gybes. Hlavaty was also being seriously threatened by Bulgarian entrant Pepa Mavrodieva (Starboard).

Kubat failed to capitalize on Jaggi and Ghibaudo’s absence as she struggled to register 5th place. Hlavaty kept Fauster at bay to win, and Mavrodieva rolled home in third.

Women’s Race 3

Ghibaudo’s stubbornness and refusal to allow Jaggi all the limelight continued in race 3. She led from the start and extended that lead over the second reach as Jaggi pulled away from a skirmish with Fauster after the first gybe. Jaggi turned her focus on Fauster but despite good board-speed couldn’t match the Frenchwomen who played each mark safe with wide error-free gybing earning her the victory ahead of Switzerland’s multiple world champion.

Meanwhile the battle for third and fourth place was hotting-up. Cagla Kubat was trying to force Fauster into mistakes and that effort paid off as she gybed aggressively at the final buoy and used her significant pace to overtake Fauster on the final reach for third.

Women’s Race 4

Ghibaudo drove her advantage home in the final race of the day. She timed another perfect start to build a sizeable lead along the first reach. The pressure must have got to Jaggi as she fell at the second mark whilst Fauster ghosted into second position.

Jaggi however stood up, dusted her self off, gritted her teeth and tried to cut inside the Italian at the third turn. Eventually pure speed won her the chance to overtake on the fourth reach as Ghibaudo crossed the line to win and take home the vital first day’s bragging rights. Jaggi finished second ahead of Fauster in third.

The forecast tomorrow is for more of the same excellent conditions. Skipper’s meeting is at 11.00 for a first possible start of 11.30

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